Level Design

• Room tile based procedural generation of levels on a per-run basis
• Procedurally generated room sequences are bookended by fixed sections (boss/campfire rooms and shortcuts)
• Levels contain critical path alongside optional side rooms/routes to explore for potential loot
• Following the critical path, players will reach a consecutive series of campfire rooms
  • These provide opportunity to configure loadouts and fast travel to discovered campfires
• Rooms between campfires are hostile, with combat encounters and some platforming
• Procedural Generation limits to a minimum and maximum number of hostile rooms between campfires, preventing level layouts that are either too long or short
• Typical structure for critical path of a level:
  • First campfire (level start point)
  • First series of hostile rooms (selected and placed procedurally)
  • Second campfire (midpoint)
  • Second series of hostile rooms (selected and placed procedurally)
  • Third campfire (pre-boss room)
  • Boss Room
  • Level Exit (Leads to next level start)

• Obstacles within the level (ie a locked door along the critical path that requires a diversion to find a key) are permanently cleared once solved
  • Each level has at least one of these to make subsequent runs through the level faster once the player has made it deep into that level before
• Bosses die permanently after first clear
• A second departure destination is permanently unlocked after discovery about halfway into the game, allowing the player to begin future runs from further in
• Backtracking routes that allow a level skip are permanently unlocked once discovered

• NPCs retrieved from a level return to village permanently, offering their services before departure on subsequent runs
• Spell Stones and slots are permanently unlocked
• Resting at a campfire allows the player to ‘bank’ resources found (couriers/birds relay resources to the village - moles for ground levels and birds for castle levels?)

• Small, impoverished settlement cobbled together from scraps, develops over the game
• Training Ground (area with straw dummies) that acts as opening and tutorial area for first run
  • Tutorial area becomes an optional area to return to on subsequent runs
• Village Centre for prep before runs (npc vendors/treasurers etc)
  • Village develops alongside progression, adding new vendors and facilities
• Departures Area for starting new run, player exits village and sets off on journey
  • Progression milestone allows for selection of new departure destination that starts runs at a later point

• Outskirts of rat-infested territory
• Maze-like network of muddy, burrowed tunnels, characterised by bone structures • Inhabited by animalistic, outcast rats
• Enemies use bone weapons
• Can find and rescue the Merchant during this level

• Chamber fashioned into a colosseum.
• leading up to the encounter, player is coaxed towards the colosseum entrance by small rats that continue to move back as the player approaches
• The rats have trapped a larger animal (hog) and use it as a beast for gladiatorial entertainment (slaying the creature causes the crowd to flee in terror)
• Level exit through the beast’s chamber, behind arena
• beast’s chamber contains a sewage run off point that was being used to provide it water in its cage - explains its crazed/enraged state
• creature was too large to fit through bars but player fits through easily, leads to start of second area

• City’s sewage turned noxious as a result of rat infestation
• Inhabited by monstrous rats that terrify even the rest of the infestation
• They inject themselves with ‘sewage serum’, which chemically enhances them • Can find and rescue Smith Apprentice during this level

• A freakishly large, crazed sewer rat with mechanical/chemical augmentations, attacks anything on sight
• Can hear its twisted cries echoing out on occasion during the level
• Introduced by jumping down and killing another rat before turning to the player (is this now just the same as the hog killing the rider?)
• telegraphs attacks when mechanised serum injections push into its body
• After boss, short diverging path leads to new permanent departure unlock that begins future runs at this point
• Exit the sewers and arrive above ground, in the old feline town

• Urban area inside city walls, beneath the castle - medieval town aesthetic
• A run down shell of former self
• Level design goes in and out of houses, with piles of rubbish/collapsed floors forcing player to navigate multiple floors to reach exit on other side
• A shorter level, primarily focused on a few mid scale combat encounters
• Inhabited by the lowest of the infestation’s accepted society (city rats)
• enemies wear oversized feline armour/weapons

• In courtyard at foot of castle gates
• A giant suit of armour once worn by a legendary feline knight/guard is slumped against the gate
• swarm of many small rats scurry into the suit, beginning the encounter
• A fight against a foe that gets progressively smaller but faster as the player knocks off the extremities of the rat cluster bit by bit
• with each piece of armour knocked off, chunk of the swarm disperses
• defeating it grants player access to the castle

• At beginning of the level (first campfire room), diverging path leads back down into the sewers, opening connection to second departure destination unlocked at end of level 2
• Allows player to skip straight to beginning of level 4 after short walk through fixed sewer zone with few enemies
• Main section takes place in heights of old feline castle, parts of which are beginning to crumble down to the ground below, crushing smaller buildings
• Steampunk elements, more architecturally grand than previously areas despite decay
• Enemies use steampunk weaponry and mechanisms
• Critical path moves up the castle with the player searching for a new elevator on each different floor to move up
• Each elevator accompanied by campfire

• Rat at top of third elevator, enter lab room with giant looking glass and astronomy equipment among others
• Boss fight against scientist rat that developed Spell Stone harnessing tech with Grandsmith
• Fights like a mage by using the stones
• Mirrors player by having access to the same spells, among others
• Drops unique spell stone that gives access to boss’s signature move - Can rescue the Grandsmith from backroom after defeating boss
• Defeating boss allows access to larger lift, which goes both up to level 5 and back down to the beginning of level 4, allowing the player to skip level 4 in future runs

• A short, fixed level that goes through the palace and into the throne room
• Enemies are guards with similar equipment to enemies found in level 4, but with technological innovations involving the magic stones that make them more dangerous
• Tough encounters akin to mini-bosses
• Implied that the boss from level 4 was developing Spell Stone technology to equip the palace guards

• Perhaps a fat cat disguised as rat king, maintaining dominion over infestation to satisfy own gluttony
• Killing the cat could lead to the player taking their place and restarting the cycle (might be a bit too like the souls formula)